Charest faces mounting ethics questions

Quebec Premier Jean Charest continued to face questions about his government's integrity on Friday, the day after he fired the province's family minister, Tony Tomassi, over ethics concerns.

While Tomassi was nowhere to be found on Friday,the opposition continued to press for a public inquiry into the Liberal Party's financing practices.

The calls came on the heels ofnewspaper reports that Tomassi and Public Security Minister Jacques Dupuis might have intervened to help the president of a private security firm obtain a permit to carry a gun.

On Thursday, the premier said he had been informed that Tomassi had used a credit card belonging to that security firm, Montreal-based Canadian Bureau of Investigations and Adjustments (CBIA), for his own purposes.

The credit card use is alleged to have happened prior to Tomassi being named to cabinet in December 2008 when he was still just an MNA, Charest said.

According to an article in the La Presse newspaper on Friday, Tomassi also introduced CBIA's president, Luigi Coretti, to Dupuis.

Provincial police had initially refused to provide Coretti with a gun permit, because though he worked for a security firm, he was mainly responsible for administrative duties.

'This case is not closed, because the real story is not the credit card of Mr. Tomassi.' Agns Maltais, Parti Qubcois MNA

Under Canadian firearms legislation, an authorization to carry a restricted or prohibited weapon is rarely issued except to security personnel.

Dupuis acknowledged having met with Coretti at his riding office but denied having intervened on his behalf, the paper said. Instead, Dupuis said he referred Coretti to his chief of staff, who was asked to listen to his requestbut told not to put any pressure on provincial police.

Eventually, Coretti was granted a temporary, renewable permit, the paper said, quoting former employees of the company who said that Coretti wore his weapon on a regular basis.

Prior to Tomassi's firing, newspaper reports had raised further questions abouthis links to CBIA, citing former employees who witnessed the former minister giving Coretti tickets to a Liberal Party fundraising event.

Several employees said Coretti then asked them to attend the event, though they said they never personally made a donation to the party.

It is illegal in Quebec for companies to make political donations or to reimburse employees who have made donations on their behalf.

Quebec Liberal Party shaken

On Thursday, Quebec's chief electoral officer, Marcel Blanchet, announced he was conducting a probe into donations made in Tomassi's Lafontaine riding.

Informal investigations are also underway into fundraising activities in the ridings of Education Minister Michelle Courchesne and junior transport minister Norman MacMillan. A formal investigation was launched into Transport Minister Julie Boulet's riding of Laviolette.

Members of the opposition Parti Qubcois said the situation points to the need for an inquiry to investigate the mounting questions about the Liberal Party's fundraising practices.

"This case is not closed, because the real story is not the credit card of Mr. Tomassi," said PQ MNA Agns Maltais.

But, speaking to reporters in Saguenay, Que., Charest rejected allegations of wider problems in the party andaccused the PQ of abusing its parliamentary privilege.

"The Liberal Party of Quebec does its financing according to the rules," the premier said.

Charestsaid he had been informed by officials in the office of the chief electoral officer that Boulet was not the focus of their investigation.

He saidthe investigation inher riding centred on a donor whose donation receipt was sent to his office, instead of to his home address.

Nonetheless, members of the Liberal Party were feeling shaken on Friday.

Health Minister Yves Bolduc acknowledged the government will have to work to regain the public's confidence.

Others said the premier did what he had to do.

"As a colleague and friend of Tony Tomassi, of course I'm saddened by the news; there's no doubt about it," said Laurier-Dorion MNA Gerry Sklavounos.

Tomassi's replacement was also welcomed by the province's association representingprivate daycares.

Tomassihad also faced allegations of favouritism toward Liberal Party donors in the awarding of permits for publicly funded daycare spaces.

"[There was] some cleaning up to be done, and the minister didn't have any leadership," said association president Sylvain Lvesque.

BCIA under bankruptcy protection

Meanwhile, more questions were being asked about the security firm behind Tomassi's downfall.

The CBIA, which received $4 million in financing from provincial government investment funds,is under bankruptcy protection.

The union representing the company's 800 employees said pay cheques issued on April 23 bounced, and its members haven't been paid since.

The company also has contracts with the City of Montreal to provide security for the city's water filtration plant and police department headquarters.

The CBIA has also just signed a contract with the Montreal borough of Verdun, which Borough Mayor Claude Trudel said will be reviewed.